Illinois Employment Discrimination Deadlines: IDHR, EEOC, Chicago, and Cook County

Quick answer: Illinois employment-discrimination deadlines depend on the law and filing forum. As of January 1, 2025, the Illinois Department of Human Rights generally allows two years to file a non-housing charge. Chicago Commission on Human Relations complaints generally must be filed within 365 days, Cook County Human Rights Ordinance complaints within 180 days, and federal EEOC charges are generally subject to a 300-day deadline in Illinois. Shorter or different deadlines can apply, so do not wait to investigate the correct forum.

Illinois Employment-Discrimination Deadline Chart

Forum	General deadline	Important qualification
Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR)	Two years for non-housing charges	The expanded period took effect January 1, 2025. Housing charges generally retain a one-year administrative deadline.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)	Generally 300 days in Illinois	Federal coverage, claim type, employer size, and the date of each challenged act matter.
Chicago Commission on Human Relations (CCHR)	365 days	Applies to covered violations within Chicago under the Chicago Human Rights Ordinance.
Cook County Commission on Human Rights	180 days	Applies to covered Human Rights Ordinance complaints; separate worker-protection ordinances have different periods.
Federal lawsuit after an EEOC right-to-sue notice	Often 90 days	The notice and governing federal statute control. Missing this period can end the federal court claim.

The IDHR Deadline Changed in 2025

Older Illinois articles often state that an employment charge must be filed with IDHR within 300 days. That is no longer the current general rule for non-housing charges. Public Act 103-0973 expanded the filing period to two years effective January 1, 2025. IDHR’s current guidance likewise states that a non-housing charge should be filed as soon as possible but no later than two years after the discrimination occurred.

The change does not mean every related claim has a two-year period. Federal, Chicago, Cook County, contractual, wage, leave, whistleblower, and common-law claims may follow different clocks. Questions about events near the effective date also require case-specific analysis.

Chicago and Cook County Use Different Deadlines

The Chicago and Cook County commissions are separate agencies. Chicago’s ordinance generally requires a complaint within 365 days after the alleged violation. Cook County’s current complaint guidance states that Human Rights Ordinance complaints must be filed within 180 days. Do not assume that the longer state deadline automatically preserves a local claim.

When Does the Clock Start?

The filing period often runs from the challenged employment decision or discriminatory act, not from the date an employee later discovers every consequence. Termination, refusal to hire, demotion, discipline, and denial of promotion may be treated as separate discrete acts. A hostile-work-environment theory can involve a different analysis when conduct is alleged to be continuing. The correct date should be evaluated from the specific facts rather than estimated from a general article.

Steps to Take Before a Deadline Expires

Write down the date of each employment decision, statement, complaint, and retaliatory act.
Preserve termination letters, schedules, pay records, reviews, complaints, and communications you lawfully possess.
Identify the work location, employer, number of employees, and protected characteristic or activity involved.
Do not assume an internal HR complaint pauses an agency deadline.
Obtain advice promptly about overlapping state, local, and federal claims.

Official Sources

Related Employment Guides

This article provides general information, not a deadline calculation for a particular matter. If a filing period may be approaching, speak with counsel or the relevant agency promptly.